Havana, Feb 21 (RHC)-- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has praised Cuba's achievements in the field of digital technology, particularly efforts to guarantee children's access to safe online content, while protecting them from the perils of the digital world.
UNICEF representative in Cuba María Machicado presented in Havana UNICEF'S Report on the State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World. It examines the different ways digital technology is shaping children’s lives and life chances, identifying both, dangers as well as opportunities.
The report states that despite children’s massive online presence — 1 in 3 Internet users worldwide is a child – too little is done to protect them from Internet dangers, increase their access to safe online content and empower them to use technology to play, learn and influence policies and conditions that affect them.
In presenting the report in Havana, the UNICEF official acknowledged Cuba's advances, noting that the island has been able to significantly reduce the risk of Cuban kids being exposed to unsafe online content basically by learning from other countries' experiences. Inter-disciplinary Cuban teams study, adapt and implement those experiences based on our country's own reality.
In statements to Cuban press, Deputy Communications Minister Wilfredo González asserted that politically there are absolutely no limitations to Internet access by Cubans on the island.
The Cuban official underscored the country's efforts to continue advancing in this process. He pointed to the more than 650 cyber cafés and 500 wifi hotspots in public locations created, as well as the installment of Internet services at people's homes across the country.
UNICEF is a world leader in researching the condition of children worldwide, from survival and health, to education and opportunity.